


Aftermath - I Never Meant To Hurt You

by writingcreature



Series: The-Aftermath-Series [14]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Emotional Baggage, Episode Fix-it, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Sequel, series finale fix-it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:53:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23751139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingcreature/pseuds/writingcreature
Summary: Like many of us, I was mad how Steve's departure was written and also about the reasons why he left. I wouldn't call my story a fix it, more a sequel to the series finale. Except in my version, there is no CR involved. This and some changes in general lead to the canon divergence. I am going to offer you a different point of view on why Steve left and why he stayed away for one and a half years. When Steve returns, he returns to Jersey because, during his absence, a lot of things have changed. Mainly in Danny's life but also in Steve's. This story deals with the aftermath of the finale (which is also slightly different from the OV). Enjoy the ride. There will be a lot to digest.
Relationships: Steve McGarrett & Danny "Danno" Williams, Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Series: The-Aftermath-Series [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/876642
Comments: 104
Kudos: 164





	1. welcome home

Danny sat in the chair behind his desk and looked out the window. Heaven had decided to open its flood gates, and the rain was pouring down in sheets. He felt immediately reminded of one of his first meetings with Steve back in the day, in Hawaii, while he slowly nodded to himself, trying to ignore the oncoming migraine. Something he would have to deal with for the rest of his life, thanks to Daiyu Mei's special treatment. Danny leaned back in his comfortable chair and closed his eyes. Something was soothing about the sound of rain pelting the window pane. He was thankful that his office door separated him from the rest of the hustle and bustle in his precinct.

Danny should have been proud of himself for having just successfully closed another case. A case that started fifteen years ago. A few minutes ago, he'd talked to the victim's wife and told her that her husband had been the victim of a terrible mix-up and that, according to his investigation, he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mrs. Gerber had asked him in a tearful voice, whether he was sure.

"Yes, absolutely," he had assured her in a firm voice, said a few words of consolation, then hung up.

And if Danny usually felt better after the final conversation with the relatives, he was denied a similar feeling in this case. Simply because the death of Mr. Gerber had been a stupid mix-up, it could just as easily have been anyone.

The rain was dying down. His migraine got worse. The best thing would probably be for him to call it a day and go home; he could still write the final report tomorrow. Slowly Danny opened his eyes and stared at the opposite wall. Home, despite the one and a half years he had lived here, it still didn't feel right. But after Steve left, Hawaii hadn't felt like home either.

Meanwhile, Gracie was attending Cornell, and Rachel lived with Charlie in Pasadena, where she was happily married to a flower wholesaler. From King of Pineapples to King of Hyacinths. He wondered if that was a social advancement. He had no idea. All that mattered to him was that the man loved Charlie like his own son and cared for both of them well.

There Danny sat now in his little retreat. Compared to his office in Hawaii, this one was spartanly furnished. But it served its purpose. Since his multiple injuries had been so severe that he was not fully fit for duty again, he had asked his future boss at New Jersey PD to give him a job in the cold case department. The idea was well-received by his superiors, and he was immediately appointed head of the department. In retrospect, it was no big deal, because the department actually consisted of him and a secretary. As soon as he needed support in a case, he could quickly drawback on the resources of his precinct.

Danny opened the drawer on his right and reached for the file that was inside. His next case. It was a missing ex-Navy SEAL who had been a key witness in a murder trial of a fifteen-year-old girl. He had been a bouncer at the Mirage, an upper-class dance club, and had seen three young men cornering the girl in the backyard of the club. The boys had been the son of a media mogul and his two friends. In the meantime, the media mogul had become a senator. Shortly before the trial began, Lieutenant Commander Michael Danziger disappeared and was never seen again. Some phony psychiatrist then had attested the ex-Navy SEAL suffered severe post-traumatic stress disorder, and that was it.

The case was dismissed. The boys were released. Nobody was ever charged for the murder of Elizabeth Shaw and her case box was collecting dust in the storage unit. Until the day before yesterday when the son of a comrade who had served with Danziger had cleared out his father's attic after this one had died peacefully in his own bed. Yesterday afternoon, the son suddenly stood in Danny's office with his father's diary and some other utensils that must undoubtedly have belonged to Danziger. After Danny's talked to the young man, took a few critical looks at his father's diary, and a closer look at the belongings, he concluded that this case was by far not as apparent as assumed.

His next agenda was to write a final report on the death of Mr. Gerber and then present the case of Commander Danziger to his boss who would probably declare him nuts, but that wouldn't be a first for Danny.

A faded photograph fell to the floor when he took the file out of the drawer. His heart seemed to miss a beat as he picked it up from the floor. It was a snapshot of another world. But he still knew precisely when and where it was taken. Kono took it shortly after Danny's return from Colombian custody. You could even see his battered face. He and Steve sat together in the chairs at the beach with a smile on their face.

It was so much different from the last time he'd seen Steve. Part of him understood his friend. The other part of him was devastated that he wasn't able to convince him to stay. At least Steve had waited until Danny nearly fully recovered. Of course, they had had more than one lengthy conversation at that time, and yes, he'd made Steve promise to return at some point. But still, Danny would've been lying to say he'd been prepared when the time to say goodbye came. The day Steve left, he took a part of Danny with him. And Danny's only hope was that Steve would keep this part in his heart wherever it may take him.

Great, now he had a full-blown migraine. He dreaded his tears that stung his eyes and tried to keep them from falling. Danny was so deep in thoughts while tucking the file away in his backpack that he didn’t hear the rapping on his door.

\-------

After all this time, Steve finally stood there. In front of Danny's office in New Jersey. His heart was beating in his throat. The blood rushed in his ears. Slowly but surely, he realized he should do something because the longer he stood there, the more unwanted attention he drew on him. On the flight from Tanzania to Jersey, he'd rehearsed a thousand times what he was going to tell Danny. Now, as he was standing there, his mind went blank. Okay, the stares were getting more intense. Somehow, he managed to get his brain to tell his finger to crook and knock at the door. Nothing. Maybe Danny was already gone? But the nice elderly lady at the front desk had said to him that he was still in his office.

Steve put together all the strength he could muster and opened the door. Danny had his back on him and seemed to be lost in thoughts.

Steve closed the door behind him. No idea what to say, he mumbled, "Book 'em Danno."

The words came out in a croak. Steve worried that they went unheard, so he opened his mouth again when he realized Danny had gone rigid.

\-------

A wave of nausea washed over the blond and robbed him of his breath. He doubted that his mind was playing tricks on him. His brain was just processing what his ears had heard. He turned around to see for himself.

They reconnected immediately the moment their eyes locked.

Steve nervously licked his lips, which had the consistency of sandpaper right now, and said, "Hi. Remember when you told me to go to Jersey whenever I needed some time out?"

Danny raised a brow, "From what I know, I told you that a freaking long time ago. Is something wrong with your ears?" As usual, he used his hands to emphasizes his words.

Before both know what was happening, their chests barreled into each other, and they found themselves in a hearty, almost desperate embrace. Tears were streaming down their faces, and it took them some time to let go of the other. Like both were afraid they would lose each other again.

When they let go of each other, eventually, Danny took two steps back to look up Steve and wiped the tears from his face with the back of his hand.

"Wow, you even adjusted to the current Jersey weather. No flip flops, no shorts," Danny quipped.

Steve gave him a brief but warm smile that didn't last, and when it was gone, he said, "Danno, tell me. How are you doing?"

Danny grimaced, "YOU ask ME how I am doing? Well, I wasn't the one who decided to call everything quits, to roam the earth." His voice wasn't even bitter when he said that. It was just a statement.

Steve scratched his beard and put his arms akimbo, "Ouch," he retorted and then added, "but I think I deserve it."

"And did you find whatever you were looking for? Did you find yourself through meditation in a monastery somewhere in the Himalayas?"

Their conversation was harshly interrupted when Danny's boss threw the door open.

As soon as he realized Danny was not alone, he apologized.

"Sorry, Sergeant. I just wanted to thank you for closing the Gerber case, and that I’m looking forward to your final report. Have a nice evening."

He addressed Steve with a firm nod and was gone. It was only now that Steve discovered the board with all the credentials and commendations on the wall next to the door. 

His gaze full of admiration Steve said, "So you got promoted to Detective Sergeant First Class? When did that happen? I mean congrats."

Danny made a dismissive gesture as if the promotion was no big deal to him, then mumbled, "Before you trip over your own words, I suggest we go to my place. Don't you have any luggage with you?" Danny asked.

Hooking his thumb over his shoulder, Steve explained, "I left my duffel at the front desk with the nice elderly lady. She promised to keep an eye on it."

"Even with a beard and your unkempt hair, you manage to make a big impression on the ladies. Good to know some things never change. Wonder what else hasn’t changed?"

With that, Danny left Steve gaping and was on his way out.

On their way to the parking lot, Steve trailed a few steps behind his friend. Danny was still limping. It was barely noticeable for anyone else but not for Steve. Immediately, he was back at the hospital in the chapel, asking to take his life instead of Danny's. Little did he know that his wish would be granted, almost.

"Hey, Steven!" Danny's words tore him from his thoughts.

"What?"

"Are you done watching my sassy ass?"

Steve hadn't noticed that he'd stopped mid-tracks.

"Are you coming or what?" Danny waved him over.

Only now, Steve discovered the red Camaro his friend was standing next to.

He kept on walking while he said, "Old habits die hard, Danno." Then he gave him a big fat grin.

Danny shrugged. Their eyes met, "What can I say, babe?" He smiled in return and opened the door for Steve.

Then rounded the hood, got behind the steering wheel, put the key into the ignition, and fired up the engine.

Both spent the twenty-minute drive from Danny's office to his condo in silence. It's like they needed to acclimate to each other after Steve's absence. For that, not many words were needed. And still, the silence felt awkward as Danny and Steve dreaded the moment where they would have the BIG talk rather sooner than later.


	2. the truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i534bns2zr)

The rain had turned into a drizzle when Danny parked his car in the driveway.

"Welcome to Casa de Williams. Not a luxurious as Casa de McGarrett, but it’s okay," Danny opened the door and moved inside. Instead of following suit, Steve hesitated.

"What?" Danny wanted to know. "You mutate into a vampire who needs some sort of invitation from the mortal owner of this property to enter? I mean, I know we haven't seen each other…"

"Sorry," Steve blinked and ran his hand over his mouth. "I… I… a few hours ago, I was sat on a plane, and now here I am at your doorstep. It's been a long time since… you know. I feel like an intruder. I mean, I show up out of the blue. Almost as if I'm assuming nothing in your life has changed. You could be in a relationship. You could have a girlfriend. She certainly wouldn't be too happy about you bringing your old buddy home unannounced."

Still holding the door handle, Danny huffed out a sigh and shook his head, "Who are you, and where is Steve, the guy who shouldered his way into everyone's lives?" Then he added jokingly, "Oh, and do I look like I’m in a relationship? You should stop overthinking, babe. Come in, make yourself at home."

Danny switched on the lights. Steve dropped his duffel, and they kicked off their shoes. Within a short time, they were back in sync. Steve was right; old habits die hard.

"Hey, how about some homemade lasagna?" Danny asked. "I have some leftovers from last weekend when Charlie was here."

Only now did Steve realize how hungry he was. "Sounds great," he replied and watched Danny heading across the living room.

Although his friend had told him to make himself comfortable, Steve felt way out of his comfort zone. He had no idea what he'd been expecting from Danny. Maybe that he would blame him, or yell at him, or even throw him out. But nothing like that had happened. On the contrary, they had held each other in their arms and cried like babies. He had also been surprised that Danny had invited him to his home right away. As if it was the most natural thing in the world. And that, while Steve still blamed himself for stealing himself out of Danny's life about eighteen months ago. Although it hadn't exactly been easy, and he had had his reasons.

"How about a beer?" came Danny's muffled voice from the kitchen.

"Sounds great," Steve replied.

\------

Danny took two bottles of lager from the fridge, opened them, and headed back into the living room. There he found Steve standing in front of the wall where Danny had put up all the photos from the restaurant he'd taken with him before he'd left Hawaii. It had cost him quite a bit of persuasion to get them from Kamekona.

He saw the almost awe-struck look in Steve's eyes when he pushed the bottle of beer into his hand. They toasted each other; then both took a swig.

"You... you brought all these photos to Jersey?" Steve asked in a hoarse voice.

"Otherwise, they wouldn't be hanging there," Danny deadpanned.

Steve swallowed and lowered his gaze. "So the restaurant meant more to you than it did to me?" His voice was barely audible.

Danny took another swig from the bottle before answering, "No, it didn't. Not really. We agreed when I explained that I'd rather die from a bullet than from all the stress the whole circus would've put on me... on us."

"And your wish was almost granted," Steve said as the knot in his throat was about to choke him.

"Steve, that was a year and a half ago. You don't have to do that again."

Their eyes met. "I'm sorry about how all this turned out, Danny," Steve's voice broke.

Danny knew how ridiculous it was to grab hold at a bottle of beer of all things, but he clung to it as if it was the only safety line on the only lifeboat in sight.

"Babe, we've got everything worked out between us. It's not like you disappeared in the dead of night. Besides, you were at my bedside at the hospital almost every day. For the whole three weeks. And then there was the time that you were bugging me to death, um, I mean, the time that you were taking care of me until I didn't look and move around any longer like Frankenstein's monster." Danny winked at his friend and gave him a roguish smile.

There was no response from Steve, so Danny went on, "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Once again, a smile flitted across the blond's face.

Steve seemed to be looking for words because it took him a little while to answer finally. He also seemed depressed, which made Danny wonder given the fact that they'd recently found each other again.

"Steven, what is wrong with you?" Danny wanted to know.

Steve shook his head, "I…, I wasn't quite honest with you when I left."

Danny frowned.

"I mean, about the reason, you know. I told you a cock and bull story about…"

Danny lifted one hand to cut him short, "Wait, I think we shouldn't discuss whatever’s bothering you on an empty stomach. All I had today was coffee and some flabby sandwich."

With that, Danny turned on his heel and vanished into the kitchen.

Steve decided not to follow him. Slowly he started to doubt whether it had been a good idea to "ambush" Danny in his office just like that. Wouldn't it have been better to call him first? On the flight to the States, he had all kinds of things on his mind. He still had nightmares about Danny dying in his arms. It always felt as if it was only yesterday, his friend was hovering in limbo between life and death, and the doctors couldn't say if he would survive another day.

"How about you help me set the table? I am not your waitress," Danny quipped while fiddling around in the kitchen.

The smell of homemade lasagna hit Steve's nostrils. Man, he'd missed Danny's cooking. He'd missed their banter, fuck; he'd missed everything about his friend.

A few minutes later, they sat at the table, and Danny watched Steve wolf his down bite by bite.

"Excuse me, babe. But when was the last time you had a decent meal?"

Steve stopped shoveling another forkful into his mouth and looked at Danny.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked.

"More than. You have some sauce in your… in your beard," Danny took a napkin, bent over the table and dabbed Steve's side of the mouth.

"Thank you, Dad," Steve gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Despite the great hunger, Danny felt, he poked at his lasagna.

"If you'd like, we could talk about all the things that have accumulated over the time you were away. The frustration, or whatever it was that drove you out of Hawaii. Because one thing I know for sure, I was not the reason for the change of air you suddenly needed."

Steve remained silent until he finished his plate.

"I can help you with the dishes?" he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.

Danny reached for the two plates, "All right, you take the bowl and the flatware."

When they returned to the living room, Steve took the couch and Danny the wing chair to his left.

Steve leaned forward, "I'm not sure that there is an easy way to tell you what… what made me leave the island… and you. I know I told you a bunch of things that day, but none of it was the truth."

"You mean you lied to me? I don't know if I should feel offended or honored," Danny retorted.

"Please, Danno."

"Now, you Danno me. All my senses are on high alert, Steven."

Steve realized it would make no sense to beat around the bush.

"Danny, while you were in the hospital fighting for your life, I was diagnosed with cancer," he blurted out.

His friend's smile froze on his lips. He stared at Steve in disbelief, searched for any signs that Steve was messing with him, but there were none. His look spoke volumes.

Danny's first impulse was to yell at Steve to throw something at him. Instead, Danny jumped to his feet and walked over to the panorama window that would have given him a beautiful view of the garden if it wasn’t pitch black outside.

There he stood, silent, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his trousers.

"Danny?" Steve asked carefully.

Silence.

He got up because it hurt him too much to leave his friend standing there, all by himself.

With a few long strides, Steve closed the distance between them. Danny felt the heat radiating from his friend's body as he approached him.

Uncertain about what to do next, Steve carefully put both hands on Danny's shoulders.

"I'm sorry, buddy, there was no other way to tell you," Steve apologized, his voice a mere whisper.

While he spoke, the warmth of his breath ghosted over Danny's ear and sent a chill down his spine how he'd missed that chill. Therefore, he closed his eyes to capture this moment but immediately felt ashamed because what he felt for Steve at this very moment wasn't appropriate concerning the news his friend had just broken to him.

Suddenly, an awful thought crossed Danny's mind. He turned around and found himself way too close to Steve. He took a step back.

It cost Danny a lot of effort not to lose his temper when he said, "Don't tell me, you came all the way from wherever to make your peace and then… die on me... Because if you’re planning on doing that, be warned because I would go all Constantine on you and bring you back."

Steve couldn't stop the corners of his mouth, twitching.

"Did I ever tell you how cute you are when you get into full rage mode?" Steve teased him.

Then he looked deep into Danny's eyes, and said, "We made peace a long time ago, buddy. And currently, I am in remission. And I hope it stays that way for many more years. Because last year has been a living hell, and I would have given a lot if you could've saved me. But…"

Danny interrupted him by pushing him harshly away, "This is ridiculous. You could have called me, Steven. I can't believe you kept this from me."

"Danny, you were already struggling with your health, and then Rachel put the cherry on top by opening up about her new relationship and how that was impacting your life with the kids. You didn't talk much, but I already felt you had enough on your plate," Steve explained.

"Don't you think it would have been on me to make this decision?" Danny snapped and plopped into the wing chair. He grabbed the bottle of beer from the coffee table to take an angry swig, then put it back with a loud bang while Steve sat down on the couch.

"I am a big boy, Steven; I can take a lot of shit. I… I could have been there for you like you were there for me. And Rachel, I could have dealt with her plans and the kids…"

Steve put a hand on Danny's knee, "I know, Danny. I know. The thing is I had no idea about the outcome. I was injured while we hunted down Daiyu Mei. Nothing big. But they went for a full examination and also did a blood test. They found some abnormalities that can be caused by cancer. So, they did more tests, and I was eventually diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer."

"Let me guess," Danny added dryly, "They said it's almost certainly an after-effect of that fucking radiation poisoning you were dealing with."

Steve slowly nodded, grinding his jaw. Yes, it was the bitter truth. All the years he'd been living on borrowed time. It almost seemed that in the end, God had heard his desperate call to take his life instead of Danny's. 

The blond cleared his throat before he kept on talking, "Would you mind telling me more about what happened to you and where you've been while you kept me in the dark, believing you were roaming the earth?"


	3. rewind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i537bau1ak)   
> 

_About one and a half years ago_

Steve sat in his red Silverado in front of the Iolani Palace. He'd killed the engine but turned the air-conditioning up, jetting a blast of freezing air into his face. He hoped it would prevent him from going bonkers. Both hands on the steering wheel, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest while resisting the urge to scream at the top of his lungs. Lungs. Lung Cancer. Cancer eating him up from inside. Eating away his lifetime. Lifetime.

"You can grow old with it," the doctor lady had told him. "This new treatment is very promising. You won't die of cancer. Many of our patients are cured, the others live with it for the rest of their lives."

Steve could imagine how it felt to carry that monster inside him forever. It was like living with a ticking time bomb. Had Danny been able to speak, he would probably have cracked a joke about the fact that this was exactly what an adrenaline junkie like Steve must have been longing for. Tick, tick, tick. Danny. They refused to let Steve see his friend today. He'd suffered a cardiac arrest, and it had taken the doctors almost ten minutes to resuscitate him. They weren't sure if he would survive another one.

Steve huffed out a desperate sigh. Tears stung his eyes as Daiyu Mei's words echoed in his head when she told him that she was the one who took Danny away from him like he once took her husband away from her. Quid pro quo.

Steve's attempt of a prayer in the chapel. How would HE decide? Would HE listen to someone who had hardly talked to him and often cursed him for making the wrong decisions, for taking those who were dear to him, like aunt Deb, way too early? The diagnosis was the first step in the right direction. "Take me, not him." Quid pro quo.

The other thing was that if he decided to undergo this relatively new treatment, he had to leave Hawaii. He had to give up everything that became dear to him over the years. Everything and everyone he loved. Was he ready for it? Would he be able to do that? If this was the price he had to pay, the price to save Danny's life, he had to do it. Quid pro quo.

A knock at the passenger seat's window made him almost jump out of his skin.

\---

The wild look on Steve's face told Quinn that something was off. It might've been related to Danny, as her boss had been pretty tight-lipped when she called him about two hours ago while he'd been at the hospital.

Steve unlocked the door.

"Hi, Steve. Are you okay?" Quinn asked, concerned.

He nodded, "Thanks for asking. I'm fine."

"Which is why you've been sitting here in your car for about 20 minutes now. And judging by the temperature in here, you're about to catch pneumonia or do some sort of cryonic experiment. You know you're a terrible actor," she countered dryly.

"No, yes, I know. . . " Their eyes met.

"I guess you don't have good news about Danny?"

Steve's expression spoke volumes.

So Quinn said, "Okay, Steve, I don't want this to turn into an interrogation. You know where to find me. Just do me a favor, please."

"Anything," Steve replied.

"Don't turn into a popsicle." With that, she closed the door and went back to headquarters.

At least she had managed to make a little smile cross Steve's feature. Quinn was great. Within no time, she'd become an essential part of the team. The team—he'd have to leave them behind along with his job.

All that weighed heavily on his shoulders. Then there was Daiyu Mei. She couldn't get to Danny anymore, but who knows what else she had in mind to make his life more miserable if that was even possible.

Steve couldn't tell if he'd ever felt that lost in his life before. What would he give to have Danny by his side right now?

\----

"Wait," Danny interrupted his friend smirking, "you wished that I would have been by your side? You really missed me?"

Steve gave him an embarrassed smile in return. "I wasn't exactly missing you—"

"Ah, c'mon," Danny teased.

"Okay, yes," Steve gave in, "I missed you."

"But why? You could've talked to Quinn or Lou or Adam or Tani. Or what about Junior, your brother-in-arms?"

"You know that you're a crazy guy," Steve said and finished his bottle of lager while he felt the blonde's eyes on him.

"Want some more?" Danny asked.

Steve shook his head. "No, thanks."

An awkward silence filled the air, so Danny got up to fetch himself another bottle from the fridge.

Steve sensed somehow that Danny was not well. But he couldn't tell if it was his story or if it was something else.

Surprisingly, Danny returned with a glass of water in his hand.

Alerted, Steve asked, "Are you okay?"

Danny sniffed, "Yeah, sure. It's just this fucking migraine. It started back at the office."

"Migraine?" Steve wondered.

"Yeah, you know. Daiyu Mei's special treatment left quite a mark. Not just the scars you can see."

Steve blew out a shaky breath, "Danny, I am sorry. I had no idea…" His voice was soft as silk.

Danny shook his head, barely noticeable, "Steve, don't. You couldn't have known that. It started maybe two or three months ago. And it's nothing compared to what you've been going through."

He sat back down in the wingchair and cleared his throat before he went on, "Tell me, you got on the plane and then... Did you just fly off into the sunset, or what?"

Steve gave him a half-assed smile in reply. "Nope. Of course, I had a plan."

"Ah, you had a plan," Danny quipped, "a good one, I hope? I mean better than the stories you were telling me back then."

"Danny, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Please, Steve, no more excuses. Just tell me what happened after you, you know, left me standing all alone at the airport."

Okay, the twinkle in Danny's eyes and the grimaces he was trying to suppress told Steve that his friend didn't mean any offense.

Steve remembered every single moment, from leaving Danny behind at the parking lot of the airport to boarding the plane and taking off into his new life. Whatever it might look like.

The rays of the setting sun bathed the airport in golden light. As the plane raced along the runway and finally took off and gravity pushed him into the seat, Steve closed his eyes while a tear stole itself out of the corner of his eye to roll down his cheek.

\----

At the same time, Danny stood on the visitor's platform. Though he'd promised Steve not to do that, he went there. He was shaking like a leaf while he curled his fingers around the banister until his knuckles turned white. The pain he felt deep down inside of him didn't originate from the injuries. Though Steve had reassured him over and over again that "aloha didn't mean goodbye" and promised to return, it didn't feel that way. Tears stung Danny's eyes while he let out a shaky breath as he watched Steve's plane climbing toward the evening sun.

\-----

All travelers seemed to have chosen Houston airport as their destination today. However, as Steve only had a duffel bag with him, he was quite fast at the exits. He nervously scanned his surroundings and kept an eye out for his sister. Thanks to some Skype sessions in the last few weeks, he at least knew that he had to look for a red-haired woman. Unfortunately, there were a lot of them. After some endless-seeming minutes, he discovered her standing next to a Hertz rental car company sign.

It was good to see a familiar face among all those strangers. When Mary saw him, she waved at him excitedly.

"Hey, big bro!" she said as soon as he stood opposite her and gave him a huge smile, which couldn't hide the worry in her eyes.

They hugged, and Steve put a gentle kiss on his sister's hair before she broke away from him.

Steve sensed that something was off. "Hey, what's up?" he asked.

She fought back the tears, "Oh, nothing. I mean…I am happy to see you."

"Yeah, I can totally see that," Steve deadpanned.

"No, no. It's just…we haven't seen each other for so long… I wished the circumstances were different. You know."

She started to cry.

Immediately, Steve drew her back into his arms and shushed her.

"Since our last conversation, I couldn't stop thinking . . . what if I am going to lose you?" Her words came out in breathless sobs.

Seconds ticked by until Steve decided to keep her an arm's length away, hooked his forefinger under her chin to lift her head so their eyes met. "Hey, hey, hey. I'm not planning on going to die, Mary. Promised."

It cost Steve a lot of strength to be the big brother in this situation and not lose it.

She blinked away her tears and tried to smile, but she did not quite succeed. Then she said in a choked voice, "We're kind of a dysfunctional family. Can't we meet under normal circumstances? Every time we see each other, we're on the verge of some catastrophe."

Despite the drama of the reunion, Steve noted the subtle sarcastic undertone in Mary's voice. The corners of his mouth curved up when he finally put his arm around Mary's shoulders and said, "Unfortunately, I can't completely disagree with you. And now, let's go. I'm really curious about my new apartment."


	4. changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i538bhtc35)   
> 

Steve had settled in Houston pretty well. The first four weeks of his treatment were much less painful than he had thought. But the tests that followed gave the doctors a lot of headaches.

"Steve, I'm sorry to tell you that the treatment is not having the desired effect," said Dr. Sanders with an anxious look on his face.

The words hit Steve like a punch in the gut. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

"What exactly does this mean for me now?" he asked, barely audible.

"We need to change our treatment strategy. Not everyone is responding to this relatively new method. In plain language, we have to resort to conventional, more aggressive drugs. I'm sorry, Steve, this will also cause much more severe side effects. I would like to give you time to consider it. Unfortunately, time is what we don't have right now."

Steve tried futilely to get rid of the lump in his throat.

"Then we should start as soon as possible," Steve suggested.

This wasn't the news that he had hoped for. He couldn't help but think about Aunt Deb. She had fought like a lion to stay alive but died in the end. Tears filled his eyes.

The doctor saw Steve's desperate struggle. It hadn't been easy for him either to deliver such news.

"Listen to me, Steve. We caught the tumor at an early stage. You have a good chance of getting through this. Do you have someone on your side? Family, friends? Someone you can count on? The coming months aren't going to be easy for you. And even after that, the recovery phase. You must be prepared for this to be a long process. Chemo, radiation therapy. Possibly damaged lung tissue that would have to be surgically removed once the tumor is contained."

Sanders' words began to fade; Steve could no longer listen to him. Even though he knew it was wrong. Suddenly, he missed the only person he had left a few weeks ago so badly that it almost tore him apart.

"Steve, why don't you go home now and try to get some rest? You'll need all your strength for what's coming."

Hours later, the doctor's words still echoed in Steve's mind as he sat alone in his apartment, in the dark, not knowing whether to call Danny or not. Again and again, he had grabbed his phone; his finger was hovering over the speed dial button, just to put it back on the coffee table in front of him without further ado.

He had told Mary in a brief phone call. And of course, she was as upset as he was, and was about to come over immediately, but Steve categorically refused. He just wanted to be alone.

\-----

Although it had been several months now, desperation was still written all over Steve's face.

"You stubborn mule, why didn't you call me?" Danny asked, but without raising his voice.

Steve gave him a thoughtful look, "What would it have changed? You'd just jumped off death's hook yourself. You had enough to deal with getting back on your feet. The odds of you not being crippled for life were more than slim." No sooner had Steve spoken than he felt sorry for what he'd said.

"Sorry, Danny, I didn't mean to..."

"No, Steve. No, Steve. It's okay. I got you. I was gonna end up being a burden to others if I had given up on it. I mean, I was struggling to keep my left arm from becoming paralyzed.

As you know, for a while, it looked like it would be that way. And I must confess after you left, I fell in a hole of sorts. I lacked all motivation. And then there was Rachel, and I couldn't be there for my kids like I usually could. Tani, Junior, Quinn, and Lou visited me regularly. But it just wasn't the same without you..." Danny took a short pause.

In a heartbeat, everything was back. All the feelings Danny had suppressed all this time crashed onto him like waves onto a shore.

He took a deep breath before continuing with his story.

"Eventually, I realized that without you, Steven, there was no future in Hawaii either. The fact that Gracie had chosen Cornell, a college in Jersey, was the final straw. I knew she needed me, or at least I hoped she did. Charlie was safe with Rachel and her new husband. And then there was Stan, who always took care of the little fella. Imagine, Step-Stan even offered to help me with moving. Just like that..."

On impulse, Steve put his hand on Danny's thigh. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you when you needed me the most."

"Ditto," Danny replied softly. "It seems that something like Wo Fat's curse has haunted us from his grave as well."

"Wo Fat's curse is on his wife," Steve said dryly. "I didn't think she would go that far."

"Revenge is a dish best served chilled. And so she acted, cold as ice," Danny finished Steve's sentence. Something that reminded him of the good old days, when finishing each other's sentences happened all the time and often made them look like an old married couple.

"Strangely, Wo Fat never once mentioned her," Steve mused.

"No idea what a relationship between two sociopaths is like. I've never had one. Although..." He shot a mischievous side glance at Steve, who noticed it immediately and acted as he was offended.

"Hey, that's going a bit too far. You can't lump me together with Wo Fat here."

"Can't I?" quipped Danny. "I wasn't the one who kept dangling people from rooftops or throwing them in shark cages or racing down narrow, unpaved country roads at neck-breaking speeds. Nope, it wasn't me. On the contrary. Most of the time, I was busy trying to stop you."

"Oh, were you?" Steve countered. "And what about the time you strapped that guy to the hood of your car? To race across the island with him? Or when you decided to mount a rescue mission to get me out of Afghanistan? I'm sure you would have flown there by yourself and turned the place upside down with or without a pilot's license. Or the time you went under the radar into North Korea to help rescue me? Or crash land a plane on a beach to give me a fighting chance? Face it, Danny. You are just as crazy as I am. Probably even more so, because I underwent years of specialized training to bring out my crazy. All you had to do was to be in my vicinity for a few weeks."

Danny took a sip of his glass of water, almost choked on it, but hurried to say in a hoarse voice, "All right, all right. I just adapted some of your principles. After all, I wasn't exactly a wallflower before I met you."

For a while, they both were lost in thoughts. Then, Danny suddenly said, "Haven't you missed all this craziness? I mean, you've been away from all the chaos and the criminals for so long..."

He gave Steve a pleasant smile. Their eyes locked.

Steve sighed, "Do you want to hear how much I missed you now?"

Danny shook his head, "No, no. Absolutely not. I want to know if you missed the job. The adrenaline. That feeling you get after we closed another case. I know it's a strange question. But it happened to me. I was glad to take over the cold case department and get back to work again. All that time in rehab, the longer it dragged on, the more useless I felt."

"Really? You were the one who was always talking about retiring," Steve said.

"It was nothing but bullshit. A sort of midlife crisis. I don't know how to explain it to you." It seemed like Danny was still holding something back.

However, Steve went along with it.

"The treatments I was about to undergo were really something. At first, I thought I could handle them as well as the others. But then suddenly everything happened so fast. My body began to react to the chemo. Often, I puked my guts out for days after treatment. I got to the point where Mary was pushing me to move in with her and her family. And then there was Edgar, a good friend of her fiancé."

"Edgar?" asked Danny skeptically. "Who the hell is Edgar?"

"He's a nurse, and a close friend of Henry's, they've known each other since childhood. Seeing them together often reminded me of us. Most of the time, painfully. But I was still too scared to give you a call. In any case, Edgar took great care of me. He gave me homeopathic medicine to ease the side effects. Geez, Danno. Me and homeopathy... that poor guy didn't have it easy with me. But every time I was about to stray off my path, Mary was there to set me straight. Let me tell you I had no idea how strong my little sister could be.

Deep respect resonated in his voice. "Much later, there were those days when I felt better. When I almost forgot that I was up shit creek. During those days, I often thought about what it would be like to be back on the job even though it seemed unreal to me—especially in front of the TV, watching some stupid car chase or a cop show. I had to think about what I had left behind. There was this void inside of me. Sometimes when Mary was working on her computer, Joanie joined me in my room. When it was one of my darker days, she laid down next to me and told me stories about her day at school. Other times we played games or made drawings." Steve felt a rush of sentimentality before he kept talking, "You know, she reminded me a lot of Charlie. How… how is your little monkey doing?"

"Well, he kind of enjoys having three fathers taking turns looking after him now," Danny replied. "We've gotten used to not seeing each other as much as in the past. He's getting older, and Danno may no longer be as essential to his life as he wants to be. On the other side, there is Grace, who has already settled in well at Cornell but still likes to visit her old man from time to time. Then there are the problems that life at college brings with it. Like endless parties with overzealous boys who think they need to have more fun but end up in the pool from an overdose."

"What? No way. You were there?" Steve suddenly seemed to be very agitated.

"I wasn't involved until Gracie called in a panic and told me the story," Danny clarified. "I gave her instructions over the phone, and the boy was saved. However, after his recovery, his sorry ass was kicked out of Cornell, and Gracie got an honorable mention in the local newspaper for her selfless deed."

"I'm proud of her," Steve said, "do you think we can visit her? Only if your working schedule allows it. I don't want to be pushy. Listening to you makes me feel I missed a lot of things over the past 18 months."

Though Steve tried his best to cheer his friend up, it didn't seem to work.

Had he actually lost the ability to read his partner? They had always been like open books to each other. Danny had lowered his gaze. Almost as if he could no longer look Steve in the eye.

Of course, cancer had also changed Steve's perspective on life, as did the time he was allowed to spend with Mary's little family. Her fiancé Henry was an amiable guy often long away from home, as he worked for Habitat for Humanity, all over the world.

Steve admired how Mary and Henry had nevertheless made it work with each other. She had a good job as a decorator in a department store and took loving care of her daughter. Steve was proud of his little sister. After all, she had been through in her younger years, she had matured into a serious woman. He didn't know what he would have done without her help.

Steve felt that he had talked about himself enough for the moment. He wanted to get to the bottom of Danny's troubled expression.

Again, he tenderly put his hand on Danny's thigh to get his attention. "Buddy, what's wrong? I'm talking my ass off, and somehow, I feel like a fool because you obviously have other things on your mind. Are you okay?"

Steve's touch stirred Danny out of his stupor. The hand on his thigh felt hot, like burning coal, which was pure nonsense, of course. Only, Danny had been longing for a touch from his friend for so long. And no matter where he touched him, it triggered a wave of passion—kind of like a domino effect.

But this was not the reason for Danny's worrying behavior.

No matter how appropriate or inappropriate the timing, Steve had a right to know what had happened while he was away. So Danny took a short breath, took Steve's hand off his thigh before it burned a virtual hole in his pants, and then looked straight into his friend's eyes.

"Babe, there's one or more things you probably don't know about, simply because you left your weapon and your badge with the Governor and asked for an indefinite leave of absence. There was, however, the question of your succession. Because at that time, I was as far from being fit for duty as one can be. The decision on who would take over as head of the task force was made two weeks after your departure, and the Governor's choice fell on Lou."

"Certainly, to tell you the truth, I thought so," Steve deadpanned.

"So far, so good," Danny went on unflinchingly about Steve's remark. "The first thing she asked him to do was to fire Adam. The Governor could no longer tolerate this eternal back and forth between Adam and the Yakuza. With elections coming up, she didn't want Adam's past to cast any shadows over the task force. Believe me when I tell you that I tried everything in my power to stop it, but to no avail."

Danny saw Steve's jaw muscles tighten, but he remained silent. Somehow they both had always suspected that Adam's past could become a problem for Five-0.

"A few months after I moved to Jersey and settled into my new job, I worked a case in which a trace led to Hawaii. I figured it was time I talked to Lou. Instead, I ended up at the HPD switchboard, where I was told to call the Governor's office. Which, of course, I didn't do. After all, I had the Governor on speed dial. I can tell you that the guy on the other end of the line wasn't too happy with my call. To cut a long story short, despite the Governor's re-election, there were several budget cuts and restructurings. Five-0 fell victim of the cutbacks. Besides, the voices in HPD against our task force grew louder and louder."

Danny took a short break, as he realized Steve had to let this news sink in a little. He still remembered how he felt after the conversation all those months ago. Even though he already had a new job and was back in Jersey.

"Later, Lou told me on the phone that I had heard the news of the end of the task force the same day as the team," Danny added.

Steve's answer was a slow, silent nod. His mind was racing, almost like when he heard about his illness for the first time. In hindsight, he wondered if the cancer had been a twist of fate. A symbol to start a new chapter in his life.

God, couldn't this have been something else? Something like retiring with Danny, going on a round-the-world tour, and maybe even asking him... But no, that was too absurd an idea. In an instant, he felt the heat rising to his face. To prevent Danny from seeing his face turn red, Steve jumped up as if stung by a wasp and muttered, "Sorry, I have to take a leak."


	5. Chapter 5

Steve stood in Danny's bathroom. His fingers gripped the edge of the sink while he looked into the mirror. His reflection yelled at him; told him he was a mess. But a haircut and a shave wouldn't do it. Not for the scars that nobody could see. It wasn't just the guilt he felt for leaving Danny. His friend, who had almost lost his life, still dealt with the outcome after Daiyu Mei had put him through the wrangler. The whole time, Steve thought Danny would be mad at him for not being honest, for coming up with a cock and bull story. Steve was sure everyone else would have despised him if he'd been treated the way he'd treated his friend.

There was a gentle knock at the door. Danny's voice was muffled when he said, "Hey, Steve, everything okay in there? I forgot to tell you. You can take a shower if you want. The towels are in the closet opposite the tub."

When Danny didn't get an answer, he grabbed the door handle and pushed it down slowly. The door was unlocked, so he stuck his head through the crack and found Steve standing in front of the mirror, staring. His knuckles were white from gripping the sink.

"Hey babe, you okay?" Danny asked again and opened the door wide enough to enter. Taking a closer look, he noticed that Steve's eyes were red.

Danny put one hand on his friend's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Slowly, Steve freed himself from his rigidity. "I...I can't stop thinking about how I said goodbye to you at the airport. I thought I did everything right. And yet..."

"Come on, let's go back to the couch. I made us some coffee. And let's stop worrying about what happened. Now you're back, and even though you're unemployed and have no prospects, you still have me."

Steve couldn't help but roll his eyes. Danny had a sense of humor of his own — even now, as they talked about the darker side of the last year and a half.

No sooner had Steve sat down than he heard a clink, and the very next thing he heard were some powerful curses.

He jumped up and hurried into the kitchen. Danny stood next to the coffee machine and held his left hand. In front of him on the floor laid a broken mug, whose shards had mixed with the dark liquid.

"For God's sake, Danny, your hand?" said Steve, startled.

As he tried to reach for his friend, Danny turned away. "Let me go. I'm okay," he snapped.

"No, you're not okay, damn it. Let me help you. Where's a cloth so I can clean up this mess?"

Danny gave in; there was no point in kidding, Steve. He nodded his head towards the sink. "You'll find what you're looking for down there."

While Steve carefully picked up the shards from the floor and put them in the dustpan, he threw worried glimpses at Danny, who seemed to be recovering, only slowly, from the incident. After Steve cleaned everything up, he took two mugs from the wall cupboard that was still open and said, "I think I'll take care of the coffee while you go and take a seat on the couch."

Danny obeyed without further ado.

A few minutes later, Steve sat down next to Danny and watched his friend take careful sips until a silly grin flitted across Danny's face. "You remember how I like my coffee," he mused.

"Come on, Danny, how long have we known each other now? How could I ever forget that?" Steve said with feigned indignation.

Danny looked into Steve's cup. "What, no butter? Now I'm disappointed."

Steve shook his head, smiling. "You stupid little oaf. You have no idea how much I missed all this."

Then he put the mug on the table, turned to Danny, and said, "I think I need a hug."

Danny stared at him in disbelief. "You think you need a hug from me now?"

Steve looked around before answering, "Yes, from you. I don't see anyone else in this room."

The hug that followed was so different from the earlier one in Danny's office. This one was much more cautious, gentle, yet powerful. It felt as if their bodies were absorbing each other's warmth, like sponges absorbing liquid. And it lasted for what felt like an eternity. The two reluctantly parted from each other.

It was Steve who first pulled away. He didn't let Danny out of his sight.

"Now you tell me what happened in the kitchen," he said in a stern voice.

Danny was looking for words.

"And don't tell me it was nothing. I'm not blind. Your arm, what about it?" Steve demanded.

"It's only been going on for a short time." Danny hesitated. "Now and then, my hand starts trembling uncontrollably. That's all."

"That's all? Are you serious?" Steve was shocked. "Have you been to the doctor?"

Danny shook his head, "What for? There's nothing they can do anyway. Even during rehab, they said the damaged nerves wouldn't fully recover. These things happen."

"These things happen?" Steve mimicked in horror. "Imagine this happens to you in the line of duty?!"

"Since it's not my shooting hand, I don't see any problem," Danny retorted.

"And what if it gets worse?"

"I'm sorry, Steve, but it's really none of your business. You've been off the grid for a year and a half. And I've done just fine without you. Please stop mothering me."

"I'm far from mothering you, Danno. I'm worried."

"Don't Danno me, okay?" he snapped, shook his head, and added, "We're two fucked-up dudes, you know that? This chick almost killed us. And now she's getting leniency because she made a deal with the FBI."

"Holy shit, tell me you're kidding," Steve blurted out.

"I'm sorry, no can do. I couldn't believe it myself. Lou sent an email last week. Daiyu Mei is coming out of maximum security."

"And then what? Then she pulls the same stunt as her husband and busts out of prison? Don't these people know how dangerous she is? After she almost killed you? Not to mention all the other things she did. . ." Steve's voice trailed off.

"Lou and the former governor have already intervened. I don't think it helped. But now that you're here, maybe you and I could. . ." Danny pointed his index finger back and forth between them, "go to Hawaii?"

Steve's face darkened. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't escape his past. Again and again, something seemed to catch up with him. Thoughtfully, he gnawed at his lower lip until he concluded that it was probably inevitable.

With a worried look, he told Danny, "Obviously, it's up to us to sort things out again."

"Whatever we do, we gotta do it fast," Danny said.

"Do you think you could take a few days off?"

"I guess I'll have to. I was about to reopen the missing SEAL case. . ."

Steve shot him a confused glance. "I hope you weren't talking about me."

Danny huffed out a laugh. "No. This has nothing to do with you. Although. . . on second thought, I could use your help. I can fill you in on the case on the flight to Hawaii. It'll be just like old times, except I'll be your boss," Danny chuckled.

Once again, Steve rolled his eyes. "Whatever the future holds in store for us, it already sounds like a lot of fun," he stated sarcastically.

"It's not like we haven't got enough on our plate already. We can always use a little bit more," Danny said, standing up.

"Where are you going?" Steve wanted to know.

"Don't panic. I'm just getting my laptop. We need to book a flight to Hawaii."


	6. back in hawaii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, I am sorry for the fallout; I dealt with some serious health issues (not covid), followed by a writer's block. 
> 
> I wish all of you and yours a good start into 2021. May your dreams and wishes come true. Best creature

Danny managed to book a flight for him and Steve from Newark to Honolulu for the day after next at 8:20 am. While writing the final report on his latest case, discussing a few things with his boss, and explaining the reason for his trip, Steve contacted law enforcement in Hawaii. He also arranged for Kamekona to pick them up from the airport.

After finishing his conversation with his old friend, Steve stared at his phone's dark display for a while longer. Somehow, returning to Hawaii felt surreal to him. He was grateful to Danny for having agreed spontaneously to come with him. Of course, it was also in his interest that Mei was kept imprisoned. After all, she and her goons were the reason Danny almost died.

But that was the aspect that still bothered Steve. Yesterday, when Danny had turned off the light in the living room and gone to bed, Steve had lain awake on the couch for a long time, reviewing the events that had led to Mei's arrest, shocked at how deeply every detail had been burned into his memory. But the worst for him had been when he had to leave Danny behind. However, he had already recovered somewhat from his terrible injuries. It had been even worse for Steve to lie to his friend's face about his illness.

Not only had Steve spent a nearly sleepless night, but Danny also had stayed awake for a long time. He couldn't believe that Steve had shown up so abruptly on the doorstep of his office today. At first, he hadn't known how to react. Then, there was the horror story about Steve's cancer. Somehow, Danny was still angry at his friend for keeping it from him for so long. Now, they both had to go back to Hawaii to convince the court and the FBI that it wasn't a good idea to let Mei go.

That night, Danny came home relatively late. He looked exhausted and had brought Chinese takeout for them. He and Steve talked about his day and the upcoming trip to Hawaii. "And what if they ignore us and release Mei after all?" said Danny with a worried sideways glance at his former partner.

Steve didn't answer him right away but poked at his food, a bit lost in thought. "I ... I don't know. We'll have to try. Better than sitting around here waiting to see what else turns up. How did it go at the office today, anyway?"

"I've always been fascinated by your galloping topic changes," Danny said with a mischievous grin before shoving some more food into his mouth. "But okay. My boss congratulated me on closing my case, gave me the green light on the next one, the one with the Navy SEAL who disappeared. And he told us to kick some butts in Hawaii. He also thinks that it doesn't look good for us, but sometimes miracles do happen. And how was your day?"

Steve rolled his eyes and couldn't help but grin. "What do you think of how my day has been? Full of action. I've been bored out of my mind."

"Yeah, I noticed," Danny returned with a grin. "You wiped my kitchen cupboards and rearranged the dishes in them with Navy precision. It's going to take me half an eternity to get used to it. When did you get so domestic? Gosh, this is awful."

"You might want to thank Mary. Since she and her husband were both working, I've started making myself useful around the house. You're a lot like her, by the way. She, too, thought it was a little strange the way I arranged the dishes."

They both started laughing heartily. And it was doing them good. That way, they released the pent-up tension that had built up unnoticed between them. Both Steve and Danny seemed to have to get used to each other again, which didn't appear to be easy considering all the circumstances. All they needed was some time together, and they would have that chance now, during their trip to Hawaii.

Their flight had been relatively unproblematic. There hadn't been any delays, except for a holding pattern their plane had to fly due to heavy traffic at Honolulu Airport. After landing, they immediately went out of the building and to the parking lot since they only had carry-on luggage. Kamekona was already waiting. He stood proudly next to his new colorful minibus. A warm welcome followed with a tight hug for each of them. Then he spoke a few more solemn words of welcome, hung a lei around their necks, and pressed one of his shrimp truck shirts into their hands, along with a few food coupons.

"Nice, at least that hasn't changed yet," Danny muttered, nudging Steve in the side. Steve didn't quite understand him, but he guessed what his friend said and returned the words with a big grin.

When everyone was finally in the car, with Kamekona at the wheel, Steve riding shotgun, and Danny in the backseat, Kamekona suddenly went quiet.

Danny and Steve knew their friend all too well to know that his sudden silence did not bode well.

That's why Steve followed up with, "Kame, are you all right?"

His friend hesitated a bit, but then he said, "A lot has changed since you left the island. Five-0 disbanded, Lou returned to Chicago, Adam is in Japan, Tani and Junior got married and moved to LA, along with Eddie, and that Cole guy joined Dog, the bounty hunter. And now, all of a sudden, you two are back here, and ... are left with nothing."

Steve and Danny glanced at each other, "Well, I wouldn't put it that dramatically," Danny said. "We're not left with nothing. I have my job in New Jersey, and Steve —"

"I'm thankful to be still alive, and the rest will work out somehow," Steve added, though not quite as convincingly as he would have liked. Fortunately, the other two didn't notice—or at least, he hoped they didn't.

"Anyway, Luana, a good acquaintance of mine, has been tidying up your house and stocking the fridge. So you don't have to worry about anything. And for tonight, I brought you extra-large portions of garlic shrimp." Kamekona was happy about the successful change of subject and pleased when his friends patted him appreciatively on the shoulder and thanked him for his thoughtfulness.

After Kamekona parked the car in Steve's driveway, he turned to the two and said, "So, that'll be twenty-two, ninety-five."

Steve's and Danny's jaws dropped.

This caused the shrimp truck owner to burst into a laughing fit, from which he had a hard time recovering.

"You should see your faces," Kamekona hooted. "You don't seriously think ... "

"No offense," Danny said, trying to remain serious. "It wouldn't be the first time you've charged us some insane amount of money for something called a friendship turn that was supposed to be free."

"But not today, on such an important day," Kamekona replied. Then he got out and helped his friends bring their sparse luggage into the house.

No sooner had Steve unlocked the front door than the lights in the house came on by themselves.

A group of people had gathered and were calling out "welcome home" to them.

Steve and Danny glanced over their shoulders to where Kamekona still stood in the doorway and said, in unison, "Why didn't we think of that?"

He replied with a terse shrug.

Forgotten were the stresses and strains of the long journey from New Jersey to Hawaii. The warm welcome of their friends, who had not seen each other for so long, almost moved Danny and Steve to tears. Among the guests were Flippa, Noelani, Duke, his wife, Kawika, and many other familiar faces.

That was why Steve didn't suspect anything vicious when someone knocked on the door. He thought it was just another visitor. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with a police officer from HPD and two men and a woman in civilian clothes.

"I assume you're not part of the welcome committee?" asked Steve.

The officer in uniform took his cap off his head and held out his free hand to Steve. "You guess, right. We are sorry to disturb you. I'm Chief Leo Kanoah, and these are Special Agents Price and Vincent and Supervisory Special Agent Carter from the FBI. May we come in for a moment?"

Steve had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he led the four into the kitchen.

Danny, who thought it was odd that his friend had not rejoined them already, excused himself from Duke and his wife and went to find Steve.

When he came upon the five people in the kitchen, one look was all he needed to know what was going on.

"Is this about Daiyu Mei?" he asked straightforwardly, without introducing himself or otherwise offering any explanation.

Steve's blank look spoke volumes, "I just got informed that she fled Halawa about two hours ago. From the looks of it, it was probably an inside job."

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to my co-pilot on so many stories now: @adaywithcoffee. You're the best.


End file.
